title: Immunocytochemical detection of beta-endorphin in mouse spinal motoneurons cocultured with astrocytes from spinal cord and forebrain.
abstract: Beta-endorphin was detected by immunocytochemistry in motoneurons from mouse embryo spinal cord enriched by differential sedimentation and plated onto cultures of embryonic astrocytes from appropriate (cord) and inappropriate (cerebral cortex) sources. Growth of motoneurons on astrocytes for 5 d in vitro improved cell differentiation and suppressed beta-endorphin immunoreactivity. Immunoreactivity was suppressed to a greater degree in motoneurons plated onto cortical rather than spinal cord astrocytes. Some small, dense spinal cord cells also exhibited beta-endorphin immunoreactivity, but staining was unaffected by cultivation on astrocytes. Cell contact and/or hormonal factors deriving from glia may contribute to the regulation of beta-endorphin, a trophic neuropeptide conditionally expressed in normal and pathologic motoneurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Haynes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D051379:Mice; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000737:chemistry*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D001615:beta-Endorphin